Behind the Finish Line: How One MEPS Commander Leads with Grit

For most people, crossing the finish line of an elite race is a once-in-a-lifetime accomplishment, but for one Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) commander, it's simply another opportunity to test the limits of discipline, resilience and determination.

Navy Lt. Cmdr. Kalan Kelly, former Oklahoma City MEPS commander, began her command time in August 2024 (concluding in July 2026) in the most unexpected fashion, breaking her foot. A long-time runner, the injury provided an unexpected outcome.

“Within the first week of command I broke my foot and it was awesome, it may have been the best thing that ever happened to me,” said Kelly. “I was assigned this surgeon that told me that I wasn't going to be able to run and I wasn't going to be able to ride motorcycles, which I had told him initially those were two goals that I wanted to achieve. I left his office so frustrated with him that in the parking lot I signed up for my first marathon and then put my bike in the shop. I haven't looked back since.”

By December 2024, she was able to start running again, four months after being told that activity was one she would not enjoy again.

For Kelly, endurance racing began as a personal challenge in the face of adversity, but quickly became something much greater. Each race became an opportunity to strengthen not only physical ability but mental toughness, the same mindset required to lead her team in Oklahoma City, overcome obstacles and remain mission focused.

“Each race has something that’s not necessarily going to go to plan.” said Kelly. “That’s the challenge and then how do we react to it? I would say control the controllables and don’t be stuck on one course of action that you can't see, or so stuck on it that you can't have a potential pathways ahead.”

Completing a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bicycle ride and a full marathon of 26.2 miles within the same race isn't just about physical fitness. It requires months of preparation, unwavering consistency and the ability to keep moving forward long after the body wants to quit, qualities that also define military service.

Training in the mornings, her MEPS team often came to the gym with her, highlighting the close-knit environment of the OKC MEPS. It was this very fabric that pulled her through one of her toughest moments in a race.

“I did my first full elite race this Spring and I had a really difficult swim that caused ripple effects on the bike and the run and then to top it off it started pouring down rain on the bike and it just kept going through to the finish line,” said Kelly. “While I had trained, I kind of prepared to manage the heat, but I had to shift gears and try and manage staying warm while dealing with several other issues that were going on. It created a really low moment on the run.”

Halfway through that race, Kelly found deeper motivation close to her heart as she fought off feeling of wanting to quit.

“Athletes get one bag that we get to prepare prior to the race, it's called our like special needs bag,” said Kelly. “There is a tent ready for us along the route with all our bags there. I put a note for myself in my bag with a list of names of ones from my MEPS who had showed up to those workouts, and I'm so glad I did because I may have quit if I hadn't seen those. It gave me motivation to keep running.”

Physical readiness has always been a cornerstone of military service, but for Kelly, fitness extends beyond meeting standards. It is about setting an example.

“I always say to my MEPS personnel pursue their own big scaries, pursue their own goals,” said Kelly. “And to me, it's important that they see me also living that.”

Whether mentoring teammates or encouraging others to pursue personal goals, the same principles remain constant: consistency, accountability and perseverance. Those lessons have carried from the race course into leadership and a new perspective has shaped how Kelly approaches adversity both personally and professionally.

“Another elite racer said she is doing runs like this to see if she likes the person that emerges when things get hard and that stuck out with me so much,” said Kelly. “I've really borrowed that in a lot of ways personally and professionally and I really want to be comfortable with the uncomfortable, so that way I can look at myself in the mirror at the end of the day and know that I gave it my all, whether in PT or pushing the mission forward, hopefully in advocating for my team, or even just being a good family member and friend.”

As USMEPCOM marks five decades of supporting the All-Volunteer Force, the organization continues to evolve through modernization, innovation and the dedication of its people. While technology and processes have changed one constant remains, the commitment of those who serve behind the mission.

The 2026 birthday theme,Behind Every Oath, recognizes that every applicant who begins their military journey is supported by professionals whose dedication often goes unseen. It is a reminder that readiness starts long before basic training. It begins with people who choose excellence every day. For Kelly, every race reinforces that idea.

“I think as both a service member and an athlete, I didn't get where I am without the giants that either came before me or even in the present to lift me up,” said Kelly. “So with that in mind, every time I hear ‘behind every oath’ that reminds me that while the oath is spoken by one individual, it's generally built and sustained by a community.”